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With renewed interest generated by the
fiftieth anniversary of Shep's death, the community of Fort Benton organized a committee
to produce a lasting memorial to their famous dog. The West's most renown sculptor,
Bob Scriver, was contracted to create a heroic-sized bronze statue of Shep. Etched
bricks and miniature bronze statues were sold to finance the project, at a cost of about
$75,0000.00.
A beautiful site along the levee of the
Missouri River was selected for the memorial. Located in the park across from the
Grand Union Hotel along Front Street, Shepherd's Court quickly became the town's focal
point. The large bronze statue was placed on a rough granite stone from a local
quarry. The stone is low enough to permit even small children to stand beside the
faithful dog - for petting and for pictures.
A thirty-foot brick octagon surrounds the
statue, where over seven hundred people have already placed a memorial brick to a loved
one or to a beloved pet. There is room for seventeen hundred bricks in the completed
Shepherd's Court.
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